Roscoe Beck is an Austin, Texas based musician, and record producer. He has recorded and played with artists as diverse as Eric Johnson, Leonard Cohen, Robben Ford, and The Dixie Chicks (onstage for the infamous 2003 tour that produced the film Shut Up and Sing).

After earning a reputation from Austin to L.A. as a solid bassist with artists Eric Johnson, Joe Ely, and Robben Ford, Beck made his debut as a producer in 1986 on Jennifer Warnes’ highly acclaimed collection of Leonard Cohen songs, “Famous Blue Raincoat.” Fender Musical Instruments has honored Roscoe with the release of the Roscoe Beck signature bass, in four and five string models. Roscoe currently serves as bassist and musical director for Leonard Cohen.

In this lesson for begining to intermediate-level bassists, Roscoe demonstrates a wide variety of basslines in different styles, grooves and genres from simple blues shuffles and walking bass lines to complex latin beats and fast rock rhythms, and introduces a wide variety of techniques, from ghost notes to thumb-slapping.

In each example, Roscoe is joined by longtime friend and and master guitarist, Robben Ford. Roscoe first demonstrates the bassline accompanied by Robben and Brannen Temple (who plays drums off camera). A complete transcription of Roscoe’s bass part in both tab and notation appears at the bottom of the screen synchronized to Roscoe’s playing. Once you have mastered the part, you can play along with Robben and Brannen on a second version of the same track in which Roscoe’s bass part has been removed. You can practice replicating what Roscoe played, or just jam along with Robben and Brannen.

This lesson is designed primarily for beginning to intermediate-level bassists. But with over 60 chapters and 100 minutes of video from a master trio of musicians, this lesson should appeal to any bassist who would love the opportunity to jam with Robben Ford and learn Roscoe’s signature techniques and sound (including Roscoe’s unique two-hand chordal tapping technique).

Expected release date of this lesson: Mid-November 2011